The event saw a visitor increase of 2.8 per cent compared to 2015, with 247,000 visitors from 52 countries including 50,000 from European countries outside Germany and from overseas.

“We are the top boat trade fair for international experts in particular, since we cover the entire maritime community every year,” says Boot Director Goetz-Ulf Jungmichel. “Since the exhibitors bring both boats and equipment to our event, visitors are in a position to obtain a realistic insight into everything that is available.”

The latest watersport trends were featured throughout the show including skimboarding, kitesurfind, diving, fishing and canoeing. Watersports enthusiasts were impressed by the showcases, with 97.5 per cent giving Boot Düsseldorf top marks.

“It is so much fun starting the trade fair year with Boot,” says Managing Director Werner Matthias Dornscheidt. “Anyone who went round the halls saw exhibitors with cheerful faces and great visitors, with exactly the right blend of trade representatives and private water sports enthusiasts. Boot 2016 was a professional party that wetted everyone’s appetite for water activities in gloomy January.”

Sailing and sailing boats is traditionally the most popular segment of Boot, followed in second place by motorboats, which are in turn followed by diving and accessories / equipment.

“Another very impressive feature is the strong interest in luxury yachts, which shows that we here in Düsseldorf have exactly the right clientele for this high-price segment,” says Jungmichel.

Jungmichel, who has been responsible for running the water sports trade fair since mid-2008, will be leaving Messe Düsseldorf at the end of February 2016 to go to Hamburg.

Messe Düsseldorf Managing Director Matthias Dornscheidt: “The new Boot manager knows us inside out and is familiar with boot as well as the trade fair and sales management system. He will be continuing to promote the market-oriented focus of Boot and will be making sure that boot maintains its leading position.”